Atonement
by cherylwoo
Summary: Somewhat an AU. Voldemort does not exist, but the wizarding world still has to deal with Dark wizards, and that's what the Aurors do. Someone is targeting werewolves for murder. What if that target for the day was Remus? SB/RL and JP/LE.


A/N – I've been in this fandom for a while, lurking mostly. This is my first published fanfiction, and it's un-betaed. I would like some constructive criticism, so if you could take the time to read & review, that would be great! Thanks very much in advance!

Sirius Black blearily opened an eye. He was having a nice dream involving one very naked Remus Lupin and whipped cream... He stared in annoyance at the offending object that woke him up – a Muggle alarm clock, which Remus had bought when he moved in with the raven-haired man.

Lazily, he moved to switch the alarm clock off, while observing the empty side of the bed that had been occupied by one Remus. Wondering briefly where the latter had gone so early in the morning, Sirius stepped out of bed to get ready for the day. Remus was usually up before Sirius, and would be preparing breakfast downstairs by the time Sirius was ready, but Sirius did not hear the usual bustle of Remus' movements downstairs, which meant that he was already out of the house.

Deciding that Remus probably went to work early – probably to have a head start to the day, Sirius finished cleaning himself up, grabbed a Muggle cereal bar, and Apparated to the Potters' residence.

He rang the doorbell (just to be polite), and when Lily Potter answered, he flashed her a big smile and gave her a hug.

"Sirius!" she gasped. "I wasn't expecting you till late morning!"

Sirius grinned. "Well, you know me – I can't sleep without Remmie by my side."

"Oh," Lily replied. "Remus left for work already?" She ushered Sirius in. "He's awfully early, isn't he?"

"You know Moony – he probably wants to have a head start to the day and have a very clean restaurant by the time he officially starts work." Remus was currently working in a restaurant and had been able to keep his job for a while – they didn't mind him taking two to three days off a month in exchange for his hard work for the remaining days. "And how's little Harry?" Sirius cooed to the baby sitting on his high-chair at the dining table, who reacted with an excited shriek at seeing his godfather.

"Thanks to you and James, he's taken to swearing lately," Lily admonished. "Just two days ago, I heard him say 'Boody 'ell!' James was not the least repentant."

Sirius stared in wonder at the innocent look his godson was shooting him. "How's that, little Harry? On the way to becoming a Marauder, I see!"

"Don't encourage him!" Lily scolded him.

"Where's Prongs anyway?" asked Sirius, looking around for his bespectacled friend.

Lily had gone back to preparing Harry's formula for him. "Went out to get more formula. He should be back soon, though."

And sure enough, that moment, James Potter appeared in the fireplace, carrying a package which could unmistakably be baby formula. "Hallo, Padfoot!" he greeted. "Nothing on today?"

"Nope," Sirius shook his head. "Ol' Fudge decided to give me a break today, or this week, I can never tell – said I've been working my ass off for the past two weeks. Not his actual words, mind you."

James chuckled lightly and handed the package over to Lily. "You have, you know," he told his best friend. "I wish I could do more," he added darkly. "But Scrimgeor gave me this forced paternity leave..."

Sirius waved a hand. "It's good that you're helping Lily out since Harry was born," he said. "I don't reckon things have been easy on her, you know?"

"Yeah," James agreed. "But I still can't help wishing that I could be there in the front line sometimes, you know?"

"Don't worry, you'll be back soon enough," Sirius replied with a smirk. "Is that the Prophet?" he asked when James pulled out a newspaper from his coat.

"Yup, want to have a look?"

"Thanks," said Sirius, as James handed the newspaper to him. He settled himself at the dining table just opposite a giggling Harry, giving the baby a funny face before absorbing himself in the news that day. Usual news, some skirmishes in the outskirts of town... And a particular piece of news caught his eye – Werewolf Bled to Death in Surrey. Sirius continued reading.

_SURREY – Yesterday, Frank Wilkinson, a werewolf for 20 years, was found dead in a ditch here in Surrey. Post mortem results show that he bled to death through a deep wound in his neck. It is suspected that he died three days before his body was found. This is in line with a series of similar murders, all on werewolves as well. Aurors in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures are currently on the case._

And the article stopped there. Sirius fumed. If it had been a regular wizard that had been murdered, the article would have been longer. But it was a werewolf that had been killed, and werewolves don't deserve to be news material on the Daily Prophet.

"Did you see this piece of news?" Sirius asked James, who was entertaining Harry with his wand.

"What news?" asked James, taking the Prophet from Sirius' hands. "Oh, the one about the werewolf? I heard about it."

Sirius brightened. "Know anything more about it? The Prophet is being awfully vague about it," he complained.

"Well, Frank Longbottom mentioned it in our conversation a couple of days ago. Seems that the werewolves were killed somewhere else and their bodies were moved to less conspicuous areas to be dumped."

"That's a given," muttered Sirius. "I mean, a ditch could hardly be a killing ground, could it?"

"True," James replied. "Oh, but here's another thing – their dates of death coincide with the dates they became werewolves."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "That's interesting."

"Yeah," said James. "They don't report that fact in the Prophet. They're afraid it'll send the werewolves into panic or something like that."

"Hmm..." Sirius seemed to be thoughtful. "What date is it today?" he asked.

"June 25."

"Got it," Sirius flashed James a smile. "I'll be back – just have to check on something." And with that he Apparated out, leaving a befuddled James behind.

Sirius Apparated to the Werewolf Registry. He was greeted by Hestia Jones, who was working there as a researcher.

"Hi Sirius!" she said, hurrying over to give him a hug. "It's been a while! How have you been?"

"Meh," Sirius gestured distantly. "Been reprimanding some Darks Arts practitioners who have smuggled some goods overseas. You know, that sort of stuff..."

Hestia chuckled. "Awfully vague about what your job entails, as usual. No matter," she added when Sirius shot her an apologetic glance. "I know your job requires you to keep things private – I work in the Ministry too, you know. So what brings you here today?"

"Well..." Sirius hesitated. "It's about the werewolf murders."

"Oh, you've been reading the Prophet too, haven't you?"

"Yes, but they don't go into much detail," said Sirius with a frown. "Like how long it's been going on for, or who they suspect... You know what with Remus being a werewolf, I don't want to take any chances."

"I understand. Well, I can tell you what I know from working here," said Hestia. "First off, it's been going on for roughly two months, but we don't find dead werewolves everyday, of course. Probably once a week, sometimes once in two weeks, sometimes twice a week. So we don't quite know the pattern of the murderer."

"I heard..." Sirius was hesitating again. "That the dates of their murders coincide with the dates they became werewolves."

Hestia looked surprised. "Oh, you know about that too? Well, it was just a hunch, initially, but it was becoming apparent in all the murders..."

Sirius looked thoughtful. "Are you checking the dates each werewolf was bitten to narrow down who might be likely to be attacked?"

Hestia scoffed. "I suggested that to my superior when we'd figured out the trend, but apparently, we don't have sufficient resources to do that."

"Right, so no idea on who might be the perpetrator?"

"No leads as of yet, unfortunately," Hestia replied with regret.

"That's okay," said Sirius. "Can you show me the registry on when each registered werewolf became a werewolf?"

"Sure thing," replied Hestia. "If you would follow me..." And she led Sirius down a long hallway before reaching green door. Hestia opened the door, which opened to a room akin to a library.

"This is where we keep records of werewolves, their marks of distinction, and their yearly health status," she told Sirius. She walked to the back of the room and took out a black folder. "And in here are the dates each werewolf registered, as well as the dates they received the bite," she said, handing the folder to Sirius.

"Thanks," replied Sirius. "You don't mind if I stay here for a while and have a look at the folder?"

"Not at all!" Hestia grinned. "Go ahead." And she left Sirius.

Sirius slid down the wall he was leaning on to the floor, clutching the folder to his chest. In all honesty, he was only interested in one werewolf. He opened the folder and turned to the entries labelled 'L'. He flipped through, briefly browsing the entries until he reached 'Lupin'. His eyes widened at what he read.

_Remus Lupin  
Bitten on 25 June 1964 by Fenrir Greyback.  
Registered 12 July 1964._

Sirius didn't need to read the rest. Today was the 25th of June. Which meant that Remus was a target for murder.

He snapped the folder shut and hurried out. He passed by Hestia again, and gave her a quick wave goodbye, before dis-Apparating back to James' house.

The doorbell rang again. "Lily, could you get that?" James called from the kitchen where he was cleaning Harry up. "I bet it's Sirius back from gallivanting Merlin knows where."

True enough, in rushed Sirius. "Prongs," he said breathlessly as he entered the kitchen. "I need to find Remus – he might be in danger!"

"Wha-?" James almost dropped the cloth he was using to wipe Harry's face. "How do you know?"

"Well, I went to the Werewolf Registry. And remember how the murders of the werewolves coincide with the dates they became werewolves?"

James nodded.

"I checked Remus' – it's today!"

"Oh my god, are you sure?"

"Yes," Sirius snapped. "I'm sure... unless the Registry has the record wrong, which I doubt so."

"Okay, okay," James held up both hands as if in surrender. "Did you check his workplace? He's probably still safe there – so warn him and make sure he doesn't go out and get himself killed, and then you can go and fetch him from work in the evening."

"Yes," said Sirius worriedly. "I gave them a call before I got here. Apparently, Remus didn't go into work all morning. They didn't get a call from him either, so they just assumed it was one of his monthly absences again."

"My god... this is bad," muttered James. "Listen, you get a head start on looking for him, I'm going to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to get more information," he told Sirius.

Sirius nodded, said a hasty goodbye to a confused Lily, and then Apparated out. He hadn't a clue on where to start, but he would sure as hell do his best.

Groggily, Remus opened his eyes. His head throbbed dully. It was as if someone had hit his head with a very hard object.

To his horror, he found that he was tied half lying down to a statue of a wolf's head, and was strategically placed between the wolf's jaws. It was not a comfortable position to be in, but it was not uncomfortable either. He was now dressed in a thin white shirt and black cotton pants, which he definitely was not wearing that morning when he left the house. He shuddered slightly at the thought of his captor undressing him.

Remus observed his surroundings. The room he was in was dimly lit, and he had to squint to get a bearing of where he was. It wasn't a large room, but it wasn't small either. There was a knife in front of him and five candles laid out in front of what seemed to be an altar of sorts.

"I see you're awake."

Remus whipped his head around to face the owner of that voice. He was shocked to discover it belonged to his sire, Fenrir Greyback. "Wha-?"

"Surprised to see me?" Fenrir grinned.

"I can't deny that I am," replied Remus. "But why am I here?"

Fenrir circled the terrified young man. "As a sacrifice, of course."

"What?" Remus head snapped up.

"Indeed," Fenrir confirmed. "I am proudest of you, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Out of all the werewolves I have sired, you are the most educated one. Out of love, your parents begged Dumbledore to let you enter Hogwarts as a student. If it were any normal parent, they'd have shunned their child after he was bitten, sending them to one of those werewolf concentration camps," explained Fenrir. "Not only have you received education, but you are also quite bright. It's a shame that you are a werewolf, not being able to get a proper job and all that…"

Remus remained silent, fearing where this conversation was going.

Fenrir continued. "As you know, I am part Turkish. And we Turks revere wolves greatly. We worship a god named Asena, and once every hundred years, we make sacrifices to Asena. It just so happens that this year is the year, and I have decided to sacrifice the werewolves I have sired. I have sired a lot of werewolves, you know. My sacrifice shall be most extravagant."

Remus stared at the older werewolf in horror. So he was going to die at the hands of this man? As a sacrifice to a god he didn't even believe in? But there were so many things he hadn't yet done, so many sights yet to see… And what about Sirius? He hadn't even told him how much he loved him.

"We are waiting for the sun to set," Fenrir explained, and Remus couldn't help thinking, _Great, one day gone already._ "Then I will slit your throat and allow your blood to drain into this cup," he pointed at a cup on the altar. "And present it to Asena when it is complete."

By then, Remus was terrified. It wasn't even going to be a quick death – he was going to die a slow, suffocating death as he bled to death. He began to struggle the best he could in his bonds. "No…." he moaned pitifully.

Fenrir sighed, turning to face Remus. "I knew you would resist. All my previous sacrifices also resisted when they knew what I was going to do," he told Remus. And without warning, he shouted, "Crucio!" while pointing his wand at Remus.

White, hot pain exploded within Remus' body. It was worse this time because he couldn't even move. It was as if knives were stabbing his every being, twisting themselves within him… It seemed to last an eternity before the curse was lifted, leaving Remus heaving and panting.

"And this is how I subdue them," said Fenrir conversationally, as if he were talking to a child.

Remus gathered all his strength and struggled again. He didn't want to die, not yet, at least. And for his efforts, he was hit with the Cruciatus curse again, which lasted for longer than the first one. It was, however, interrupted when Sirius leapt in on top of Fenrir, which resulted in a scuttle on the ground.

Tiredly, Remus lifted his head to glance at the ongoing struggle between his lover and his sire. Unfortunately, Fenrir was much older and much stronger than Sirius, and the younger man was soon overpowered as Fenrir cast a "Petrificus totalus!" at him.

Sirius' hands fell to his sides and he dropped to the ground, his body rigid.

Fenrir got up, dusted himself and walked to the only window in the room. "Any minute now," he muttered gleefully. He picked up the knife that was laid down in front of Remus and walked over to the trembling werewolf.

_I don't want to die, I don't want to die..._ thought Remus desperately.

"But you'll be revered beyond anything," said Fenrir. Remus wasn't aware that he'd said that out loud. Fenrir turned around and looked out of the window. After a short moment of silence, he said, "It is time."

Fenrir yanked Remus head back, exposing his neck. Brandishing his knife, he made a deep cut along Remus' throat. He smirked when a deep, crimson liquid welled up within the wound, and allowed the liquid to flow freely into a cup he had placed at Remus' side.

_At least it isn't as painful as I thought it would be._ Remus turned his head towards Sirius, who was staring from his position on the ground at him in horror. _I love you, Sirius. I really do. _He tried to convey his feelings to the figure lying on the ground through his gaze upon Sirius.

After what felt like an eternity spent in silence, with Fenrir watching the blood drain from Remus' body, but in reality was only five minutes, Remus was getting terribly cold and was feeling really drowsy.

At that moment, however, there was an explosion at the entrance. But it was then that Remus finally gave into oblivion and knew no more.

_Okay, this is where Fenrir lives._ Sirius was scouting the outsides of a run-down cottage. He had gone to all of Remus' favourite hang-outs, and to his relief, at the last place he looked, an elderly woman who was working there said she saw a person who looked like Remus conversing with a suspicious-looking man who was obviously in disguise. The man had thought no one was looking, and when Remus was turned, hit him harshly at the back of the head, and apparently caught Remus before he fell. When the man moved to catch Remus, however, his hat fell, and she got a good look at his face – he had a large scar running down his left eye, ending at the corner of his nose. Only one person had this sort of scar, and it was Fenrir Greyback.

The main door was locked, as were the other doors. Sirius made his way over to the back, where a window was open. At that moment, a scream split the still air, and he was horrified to recognise that scream – it definitely belonged to Remus.

Sirius hurried over to the open window and peeked in. He was shocked to see Fenrir Greyback standing over a tawny-haired figure, which was unmistakably Remus, tied to a statue that looked like a wolf, and had his wand pointed at the figure. Fenrir was clearly torturing him, if the screams emanating from Remus were anything to go by.

With an angry yell, Sirius leapt in through the open window (he was surprised he actually fit through) onto Fenrir. A scuttle broke out between the two men, until Fenrir overpowered Sirius and cast the Body-Bind curse on him.

Sirius' hands fell to his sides and he dropped to the ground, his body rigid. He was facing Remus, so he could still see everything that was going on.

Fenrir walked to the only window in the room. "Any minute now," he muttered somewhat happily. As if killing Remus would right all his wrongs in this world. He picked up the knife that was laid down in front of Remus and walked over to him.

"I don't want to die," mumbled Remus pitifully as Fenrir approached him. Remus probably didn't think anyone could hear him, but Sirius could. Loud and clear. And Sirius felt rage stir within him – against Fenrir for doing something Remus didn't want.

"But you'll be revered beyond anything," said Fenrir with a grin in reply to Remus' whimpers. Fenrir turned around and looked out of the window. After a short moment of silence, he said cheerfully, "It is time."

Fenrir gripped Remus' hair and wrenched his head back so far back that Sirius thought he was going to break Remus' neck. Remus' neck was exposed, and Fenrir brandished his knife, making a deep cut along Remus' throat. To Sirius' disgust and horror, a deep, crimson liquid welled up within the wound, and Fenrir allowed the blood to flow freely into a cup he had placed at Remus' side.

Sirius, stared at the blood in horror. It was flowing so fast from Remus' throat that he thought the werewolf would bleed to death that instant. Remus turned his head tiredly towards Sirius, and Sirius could see his eyes telling him one message – I love you, and I know I'm not going to make it out of this alive, so I love you.

After about five agonising minutes spent in silence, Sirius could see Remus beginning to get really tired as his eyes began to slip close. _NO! NO! Remus, stay awake! Please don't die!_ Sirius silently begged.

At that moment, however, there was an explosion at the entrance and a small group of Aurors entered, led by James. Fenrir was so engrossed in watching the blood drain from Remus' body that he was taken aback by the new development. He lifted his wand, but was a second too late – Frank Longbottom had disarmed him and Kingsley Shaklebolt had pounced onto him, pointing his wand at his head.

James quickly made his way over to Sirius on the ground and muttered, "Finite," in order to release Sirius from the Body-Bind curse. As soon as Sirius was released, he scrambled up, pushed James aside and hurried over to where Remus lay, yelling, "Remus!"

Sirius only had limited knowledge of medical wizardry, and could perform general healing spells, but nothing more. He healed the deep wound on Remus' neck the best he could. "Oh Merlin, Remus, don't die on me..." he half-sobbed while he checked for a pulse – it was there, although it was very weak. Then, Sirius clumsily untied Remus from the wolf statue. He barely noticed James kneeling at his side and assisting him.

When they were done, Sirius gently lifted the unconscious Remus from the jaws of the wolf. James placed a hand on his shoulder. "You should get to St. Mungo's as quickly as possible," he told Sirius. "Frank and I will settle the situation here."

Sirius shot James a grateful look. "Thanks, mate," he breathed in relief before Apparating to St. Mungo's with Remus in his arms.

As soon as Sirius reached St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, he was directed by a friendly witch at the reception area to the fourth floor. There, they were attended to by a motherly-looking Healer named Miriam Strout. Sirius explained the extent of Remus' injuries and mentioned that he was cursed with the Cruciatus.

Remus was laid on a stretcher where he was carted off to the care of the Healers, much to Sirius' disdain, who was reluctant to let go of Remus for even a minute. It was only after Miriam explained that they needed to give Remus a thorough examination and administer a Blood-Replenishing Potion to him that Sirius relented.

Right now, Sirius was seated on a bench outside the treatment rooms, with his head buried in his hands. He silently prayed that Remus wouldn't die – how would he survive without Remus in his life?

"Hey."

Sirius was startled out of his thoughts by Lily placing a hand on his slumped shoulder. "Lily!" he gasped as he looked up into her concerned eyes.

"James told me everything. Is he OK?"

Sirius smiled humourlessly at her. "I don't know. I don't know," he moaned. "He was alive when I passed him to the Healers, but only barely," he told Lily.

Lily took a seat next to Sirius as she cradled a sleeping Harry in her arms. "He'll be OK," she reassured Sirius.

"But what if he doesn't make it? What if he dies in there?" Sirius interrupted her. "I don't think I could live without him, Lily!" He buried his head in his arms again.

"He'll be OK," Lily repeated. "He's Remus, isn't he? He won't give up without a fight."

"Yeah," Sirius laughed a watery laugh. He wiped his eyes off the tears that threatened to fall. "You're right."

At that moment, Peter Pettigrew came running in, breathless and panting. "Sirius!" he gasped. "I heard from James, but I couldn't get off work till now! How is he?"

Sirius looked blankly at Peter. "I don't know. I passed him to the Healers earlier on – he had a pulse then, but a weak one. And I don't know what's happening inside."

Peter placed a comforting hand on Sirius' shoulder. "He'll be fine," he said, reinforcing Lily's words. "Just give them some time – I'm sure they'll fix him up alright. Listen, I can't be here too long – I have to go home and tend to my mother, but you'll let me know if anything happens?"

Sirius smiled at him. "Sure thing, Wormtail."

"OK," replied Peter. "And don't worry," he told Sirius before turning to leave.

Sirius shot Lily a withering glance before looking at his hands once again. "Where's James, anyway?" he finally asked.

"He and the other Aurors are still reprimanding Greyback," Lily told him. "You know how James is – he's been out of action for so long, he wants in on some right now."

Sirius chuckled lightly. "Typical," he muttered.

Just then, Miriam emerged from the treatment room. She smiled gently, looking at Sirius' messed up state. She then beckoned him over as Lily nudged Sirius.

"How's everything?" asked Sirius anxiously.

"Everything's fine," replied Miriam. "Remus lost a lot of blood, as you explained, but that could be fixed with a Blood-Repleneshing Potion – he's sleeping through the healing process now."

"Oh, thank Merlin," Sirius heaved a sigh of relief.

Miriam smiled. "You needn't have worried. Once you closed the wound, however crudely it was done, and he was still breathing, he would have been alright. We fixed up the closed wound, though," she told him. "It was a bit crudely done."

Sirius grinned sheepishly. "Well, I only know bits and pieces of healing magic," he admitted.

"That's OK, at least you closed the wound before you got here. As for the after-effects of the Cruciatus, he'll be a little tired from withstanding that much pain, but since he's dead to the world right now anyway, he'll probably sleep through the recovery process," Miriam continued.

"Can I go and see him now?" asked Sirius hopefully.

"Yes. We've transferred him to Ward 416 – it's off to your left. Let him wake up on his own – I'm not quite sure how long it will take, but he will wake eventually."

"Thanks," said Sirius, shaking her hand. "Thanks so much for saving his life."

"Don't mention it," replied Miriam with a slight blush to her cheeks.

Sirius turned to an expectant Lily. "Well?" she mouthed.

"He's in Ward 416," replied Sirius, smiling. "We can go in and see him now."

"Fantastic!" exclaimed Lily. "Give me a second – I'll send a Patronus to James just informing him of this." She waved her wand, and a silver doe erupted from its end. She whispered something to it and it took off.

Sirius and Lily walked silently down the hallway leading to Remus' room. When they reached, Sirius took a deep breath in before he turned the doorknob, opening the door.

Remus was on the bed closest to the window. He was pale, and was even comparable to the white hospital sheets. But Sirius knew the colour would return to his skin once the Blood-Replenishing Potion worked properly.

Sirius pulled a chair for Lily to sit. Harry was starting to stir, and when he caught sight of Remus lying on the bed, he shouted, "Moo-y! Moo-y!"

"Shh, no Harry," Lily admonished. "Uncle Remus needs his rest now," she told him.

Harry turned to her, his wide green eyes saddened. "Moo-y no wakey?" he asked.

Lily shook her head. "No, not yet," she told him.

Harry made a disgruntled sound. "Pah-fuh!" he then called. "Carry?" he asked, stretching his hands out.

Sirius chuckled. "Sure thing, Harry." And he took the baby in his arms, unceremoniously swinging him around as Harry giggled loudly.

James entered the room, huffing and panting, as though he ran there. "I got your Patronus half-way here," he told her.

"Good," she replied. "I was afraid you'd miss it."

"How's he?"

"Alright," Sirius replied with relief. "Healer Miriam said that he'll be sleeping off the effects of the Blood-Replenishing Potion as well as the after-effects of the Cruciatus curse. She has no idea when he will wake, though."

"But he will wake, won't he?" asked James worriedly.

"Yes," replied Sirius.

"That's bloody fantastic!" cried James. "Well, I suppose I should tell you this – Fenrir Greyback has been sent to Azkaban without trial."

"What?" Sirius' head snapped up. "Why? I mean, what he did was unforgivable... but no trial?"

"Well, he admitted to killing all those werewolves in the same manner he tried to kill Remus today. And I guess the Ministry didn't need a trial for that," said James. "And besides, he didn't seem the least repentant of his crimes."

"Huh," muttered Sirius darkly, finally putting Harry down. "If anything happens to Moony when he wakes, I will personally kill him."

"Well, it's been a long day. For you especially," Lily told Sirius. "Why don't you stay over at our place tonight? Then you can come back here tomorrow."

Sirius shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks, Lils. I want to be here when Remus wakes," he told her. "I'll ask them for a cot to sleep in tonight. Besides, I'm starving – I'm going to get something to eat first."

"Alright then," Lily smiled at him. "James, would you like to accompany Sirius while he grabs a bite? I'll wait here for you with Harry. So if Remus wakes, there'll be someone here."

"Yeah, good idea," said James. "Come on, Padfoot," he said, turning to Sirius. "Let's go get some food into you."

It had been two days since Remus was rescued from Fenrir Greyback, but he still showed no signs of waking. The colour of his skin had improved thanks to the Blood-Replenishing Potion, though. Sirius spent every waking moment at Remus' side and never left him, unless it was for meals or to the bathroom. James, Lily and Peter regularly visited, but due to Harry, and in Peter's case his job, they couldn't stay for long. Nevertheless, Sirius was grateful for their visits.

In the afternoon, on the second day after Remus incapacitation, while Sirius was opening the curtains to allow sunlight through, he heard a soft moan coming from Remus' bed.

"Moony?" he turned around sharply. "You awake?"

"Ugh," Remus moved his head slightly. "Where am I?"

Sirius touched his arm, and gave him a look that told him not to move anymore. "You're at St. Mungo's," he told Remus. "I brought you here after... well, after you were rescued from Fenrir."

"Fenrir..." Remus seemed to be doing some thinking. "Fenrir!" he gasped. "I thought I was dead!"

Sirius chuckled snidely. "You were almost. Your pulse was so weak, I almost couldn't feel it. I thought you were dead!"

Remus smiled at Sirius. "Thanks. Thanks for saving me."

"Don't be daft!" exclaimed Sirius. "Of course I would! Save you, I mean. I love you!"

Remus continued smiling at the Animagus. He brought his hand up to touch the side of Sirius' face. "I love you too," he told Sirius affectionately.

Sirius gazed lovingly into the face of his lover. "You know, all this has led me to discover something – that you mean more to me than anything in this world," he told Remus. "And I know we can't get married – not legally, at least, but would you be willing to promise yourself to me. Of course I'll do the same to you," he hastily added.

Remus stared blankly at him for a moment before a grin split his face. "Of course I am," he replied.

Sirius beamed at his reply, and bent over to seal Remus' decision with a kiss, which Remus responded to very willingly.

A/N – The legend about Asena exists, and it is related to the Turks: .org/wiki/Asena. But I changed him into a god for this story's purpose. So don't get angry at me! Thanks for reading! :)


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